


The Essentiality of Noche Buena

by Aurelia_Combeferre



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Celebrations, Christmas, F/M, Jails
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28236762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurelia_Combeferre/pseuds/Aurelia_Combeferre
Summary: How the dynamic duo celebrates Christmas 2020 amid the world's longest lockdown to date. Set in the verse of the Caminar de Tu Mano series from last year.
Relationships: Enjolras/Éponine Thénardier
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	The Essentiality of Noche Buena

**Author's Note:**

> PDL means "persons deprived of liberty", which is the more accurate way to describe people living at the jail.

“Let me get this straight, you have a pass to just drop off everything at the jail?”

“Yes, I got it renewed with the warden. Is there going to be any problem?”

Eponine shrugged as she brought out her pen to continue addressing gift tags. “I thought that this would be the one year that our regular celebration with PDLs would be abolished entirely. But when there’s a will, there’s a way?”

“Absolutely,” Enjolras said, now sitting down to also begin addressing and labelling the gift cards. He took care to place his large feet away from the wrapped food baskets strewn all around the floor of their apartment. “Actually, the jails are more in need than ever of food for Christmas Eve.”

“Aren’t they always?”

“This year, Courfeyrac and Feuilly got us to tie up with more facilities. This includes some of the smaller annexes that haven’t had visitors in three years.”

Eponine’s jaw dropped. “Three years? Damn it.” She gripped her pen tightly to continue writing a label. “And these are the guys who aren’t even sentenced yet but just waiting for a trial?”

“Which is the worst injustice of it all,” Enjolras said. He sighed as he saw his wife bite her lip and put down her pen. “I’m sorry, I know this is a sore spot for you.”

“It’s just not fair, you know? My father is living like a king in the prison since you know how he can grease his way through things. That’s what he told his friends on their last call, and they _bragged_ about how he was in the best possible place to be during this pandemic.” Eponine shook her head with dismay. “I don’t want him to get sick or anything; I’ve heard enough from Combeferre and Joly how horrible getting that bug really is. But it’s not fair that he’s safe when many other people who are likely to be innocent have to suffer in those jails and not have family at all see them.”

“That’s why we’re doing this,” Enjolras reminded her, gesturing to the baskets all around the room. “It isn’t _the_ solution to the problem, but it gives them some dignity even just for one night, at the _Noche Buena._ ”

‘ _One night wherein everyone gets to celebrate,’_ Eponine thought, glancing towards the basket nearest her, which was filled with various dry goods and sachets of sauces. “Aside from spaghetti and fruit salad, what else will they be able to have on Christmas Eve?”

“Roast chicken. Musichetta was able to find a supplier for that. Cosette was also able to source some t-shirts wholesale for the PDLs.”

“Surprisingly, that is more than what we can usually give. I thought this year people would be less than generous given the situation.”

Enjolras shrugged as he set aside a finished gift tag. “I think that in this time, it’s the best most of us can do. The alternative is to simply sit tight here like nothing is happening.”

“Which never worked for either of us,” Eponine said, picking up another gift tag to sign.


End file.
